Envelope opener



April 12,1927. E E FLEMING` E NvELoPE OPENER l Filed July 6, 1926A 3 sheets-sheet 1 1*- /g J; /al n f A G 14 I; l Ji 'I/ Ji jd '9 l d a l ,EJ /10 I 5 .Q d

. 'Hl' @j 4* @26- Y 5\ e I1 u. f a 5 @5 a o 7 Z 7 CL4 April 124, 1927.

E. E. F LEMING ENVELOPE OPENER "Filed July 6, 1926 3 Shegts-Sheet 2 April 12, 1921. Y1,624,590

E. E. FLEMING ENVELOPE OPENER Filed July e, 192e s sheets-sheets I w E Z6 2 i WA Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

i u1v1-'rian.*STATES nnwaannnrtnriiive, F imennfsrowii, MAi-itivn.

ENVELOPE orEivR. j

Alipncanon filed Juiy e, 192e. ser'i'arlvt. 120,781.

This invention relates to envelope openers.

lt isa commonpractice to usera papercutter or knife or pointed instrument adapted to be inserted 1n a crevice between 5 the corners of the envelope and the flap for cuttingortearingapart portions ofv thev envelope, with the result that the contents of the envelope are often out or torn with consequentinjury thereto.

One object of my invention is `to provide an envelopeopener that will not be liable to cut or otherwise'injure the contents of the envelope, and which willk enable the user to openvo'ne end or margin of the envelope without injuring its contents and so as to permit anything it contains to be easily removed intact. l

Another object is to provide a simple and eflicient device of the character referred to,

whereby envelopes ma;7 be easily and quickly openedl without danger of cutting, tearing or mutilating anythingV contained therein, by merely 'cutting' a very narrow strip from one end orA margin of the envelope'vso .as to leave it otherwise intact, which is impossible in 'using .envelope openers such as are commonly employed. f

The invention will first be hereinafterl more particularly described, with reference to the accompanyinp,l drawings, which are to be taken as a. part of this specification, and

then pointed out in the claims vat the end of the description.

ln said drawinfs. Fio. l re resents a to or plan view of an envelope opener embody ing my invention ;r

Fig. 2 is a front elevation'of the same; Fig. 3 isan end view thereof; Fig. l is a vertical transverse section taken w on' the line of Fig. l;

Fig.V 5 is a detail sectional View of the reciprocating kcarriage or knife-carrier;

Fig. 6 is a detail end View, and Fig. 7 a

detail sectional view, illustrating the mode- 4= of attac-hingl an ordinary knifesblade ofthe safety razor type to one end of the reciproeating 'knife-carrier or carriage;

Fig. 8 is a detailview of the knife-carryingl end of the carriage havingmeans there- 5U on for attaching' an ordinary safety razor blade or knife; the knife being removed;

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a modified form of envelope opener embbdying my in-v vention; n d

Fig. lO Vis a vertical transverse said modication; f

section of Fig. l-l is a fragmentary detai'l'pl'an vie-w ofa modiied ferm of theknifescarrier shown in Figsg)` and l0; and

Fig'. l2 is a perspective view ofthe knife' carrier` shown in Fig. A11.-

Referring to said-drawings, in which the samereferenceletters or numerals are used to denote correspondingparts indifferent views, theletter A in Figs. l to- 4 denotes a frame-structure on' which is mounted a reciprocating knife-carrier or carriage and associated parts of an envelope opener embodying` my invention. Said frame-structure, as shown, consists'of aphollow casting of `substantially rectangular or oblong form having a top portiona, and al rear portion or wallial, together forming a rear portion of angular form incross section,copn1 iecting opposite end-portions a?, and also av bottom cross-bar a3, t-thevfronn formedintegrally with enlarged s end-.portions or extensions a4 *having integral upstanding vterminal mem'f bers 'ez-T', for a purpose hereinafter described. The cross-bar a3 forms a rest or supportfor the forepart of an oblong` receptacle' Cv ar? ranged belowthe cutterl and adapted to receive'the strips cutfromthe envelopes; said receptacle being provided with la handle c and adapted to, beA easily remove-d `and replaced whenit is desired to empty vthe same..

The upright members a5 lof the. frame-striic- 'ture aresuitably apertufredto:provide bearings4 for opposite.endsE of a rod D forming one of what l term the.rails'` of a track along which the lmife'fcarrier or carriage travels back `and forthwith a knife" or cutterl thereonin proper position for severing a narrow strip fr'omthe end: or margin-fof anY envelope placed Lin .the path of movement of the knife: D1 denotes a transverse bar parallel with the rod D and forming..tlie

`other track rail, on whichthe` free end of the carrier restsand slides back and forth; the

latterxbar servin'gthe double'purpose of aV track rail for the"knife-carrier andas a stop to arrest the movementof an envelope inserted in" position: to. adapt the knife to cut a narro-wstrip from the end o'r margin of theA envelope, without cutting. or'` injur-y ing its contents. f E denotes a flatfmetal:bar.v

ieu

or plate placed Hatwise .beside and vparallel l with the combinedrtrack rail and stop.bar.

D1.' and slightly separated fromr the front edge ofthe top a ofthe frame structure. sov

that the cutting'. edge 'or end* of a -k'nife-iV 'blade fixed on the carriagemay enter bes tween said edge and the plate E, thus form ing a knife-guide. The bar D1 has dependiingr end-portions or brackets (l with apertured extremities in which are inserted screws (Z1 which enter oblong horizontal slots in upright members f ot levers F, tulerunied on the outer sides oit opposite ends ol the supporting trame, for depressing a presser-bar G when said levers are de pressed; said oblong slots serving to compensate for any movement of the levers tending to :torce the bar D1 into bindingr contact with the guide plate E by permitting` the bar D1 to move slightly up or down whilelhe screws Z1 move slightly forward or back as the levers are raised or lowered, thusproviding,l sullicient play for the purpose stated. The free ends of the levers F are npturned and connected by a cross-bar or treadle F1 adapted to be depressed by pressure ot a linger thereon and thereby depress the presser-bar G. l

The kni;l'ecarrier comprises a base plate l having end plates 2 and 3 rigid therewith and extending upwardly substantially at right angles thereto, and also a rocker-plate et, arranged between the end plates 2 and 3 and having an operating handle 5 thereon. The end plate 2 has threaded apertures therein to receive the ends of screws on which are fitted peripherally grooved rollers ti adapted to travel alongr the rod D as the knife-carrier is moved back and forth and also has secured thereto brackets7 of hook shaped form with their curved or hooked ends underlying the rod D so as to pivotally seeurethe knife-carrier on the rod while permitting sliding' movement alongr the rod which is arranged in parallel relation to the track rail or bar D1 on which the rtree end of the knife-carrier is slidably supported so that it may be raised to raise the knife. Elbow-shaped brackets S, bolted or otherwise secured to the upper edges of the endportions of the frame A, have upstandingr end-portions 9 which may contact with and hold the track-bar D1 in frictional contact with the guide-b ar E. The upper edge of the guide-bar E is arranged flush with the top (z of the frame-structure A, or preferably flush with a metal `plate H having its ends secured in recesses atopposite ends of said top.` The plate H is preferably niekel plated to provide a smooth and polished surface underlying the presser-bar G vbetween which and the plate H the end or margin of the envelope is inserted for opening the same. A shalt I arranged within the angular rear portion of the frame-structure has its ends inserted through apertures in the endportions of said trame and on the projecting ends thereof are secured peripherally roughened disks or milled-wheels K for rotating said shaft to depress the presser-bar. The shaft I has secured thereon or thereto the lower ends of links i the upper ends ol. which are secured to or on the ends of the presser-bar so that when the shaft is turned in one direction the presser-bar will be depressed.

To the ends of the presser-bar are pivotally secured the ends ot links g the other ends of which are pivoted to the levers Il" so that the pressenbar may be depressed by pressure upon the treadle bar F1,or by slight rotation of the disks K. To liit or restore the presser-bar to normal position a spring L has one end secured to a fixture Z projecting 'from the eross-bar a, while the other end et the spring is sccnred to the free end et an arm if project-ing trom the shaft I, so that the presser-bar, when lowered and released, will be automatically raised and held normally in raised position. It may be desirable in some eases to fuse either the treadlesbar F1 or the milled-wheels K alone, or equivalent means on the shalt I for depressing` the presser-har, and one ol? these depressing means may be dispensed with.

The end plates 2 and 3 ol the knife-carrier have alined apertures therein to receive and provide bearings for a rockable bar or shalt l() secured to the rocker-plate t on the underside thereoit, as shown in F ig. 5. One end of the shalt l0 protrudes through an aperture in the end plate 3, and said end is or' polygonal forni, as shown in Fig. 8, and has a threaded socket therein to receive a screw for securing thereto the assembled parts ot a knife-blade holder and interposed knife; said holder comprising an inner plate ll having an opening therein intermediate its ends adapted to lit over the correspondingrly-shaped protruding end ot the shaft l0 and also having studs or projections 12 (Figs. 7 and 8) on opposite sides oit said openingr adapted to enter spaced registering holes in an outer plate 13 and an interposed knife-blade 3"; said outer plate and knife blade also having intermediate holes registering with the interiorly threaded socket in the end of the sha'l't l() ttor the insertion of a` screw llt, whereby the assembled parts are secured on the end of the shaft 10, so that when either end of the roeker-plate Il is deL pressed one end ot the knite-blade will be Sii correspondingly depressed and caused to` enter the guideslot between the guide-plate E and the plate l-I underlying the presserbar in position for severing a strip from the end oft an envelope positioned in the path of the knife. A spring or springs may be interposed between the roelninplate and the base plate l, for holding;r the rocker-plate in a horizontal position and to restore the saine to such position when either end thereolhas been depressed, and to this end I preferably employ a flat spring 15, (Fig. 5) of bowshaped form, having' its upwardly inclined end-portions each bearing on the under side ci* with vthe Venlarged end-portions ci* there-V of, as shown in Fig. 2.

My invention in its ,broader aspects is illustrated in a simplilied form in Figs. 9 to 12 of' thedrawings, in whichthe construction and arrangement of the assembledY parts is substantially the same in all essentials as the Construction' and arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 8, except that instead of a carriage or knife-carrier on wheels and an oscillatoryA knife-blade, the knife-carriery yis silidably mounted on rparallel bars independent ofthe stop bar D1, which, as shown iii-Figs. '1 to e, serves the double purpose of a stop and a track rail.

In 9 and 10 the knife-carrier is 'shown slidably supported on parallel rods 20iand 21l andi consists of asingle piece of 'cast or sheet metal having Yintegral aperturedflugs 22 and 23 at the four corners thereof through which the rods 20 and 2l pass; the rod 20 being secured at opposite ends thereof to upstanding end-portions c* ofthe supporting frame, while the rod 21 is Vsecured at opposite'ends thereof to the'ends ef links 25 which are carried by the rod 20 Vand project therefrom 4toward the knife, sothat the l-:nife-carrying end lof theA carriage may be raised and lowered to bring the knife intooperable Vposition in the saine manner that it is raised and lowered in the first mentioned construction. Instead of a rockable or oscillatory knife, a relatively 'lived knife having a double cutting edge is einployeckthe knifebeing s niewhat in the form of the letter V, as shown, with its cutting'edge arranged to enter the guide-slot and sever a'strip from one end or margin of an envelope positioned in its path of movement iin either forward or backward direction. Pins 26 projecting from the inner sides'of the end-portions a4 of the supportingframe adjacent the rod 20 serve as rests forv the links 25 to limit downward movement of the vfree end ofthe knife-carrier as itis moved forward `and back along the track rails, as described withreferenc'e to Figs. 1`to 4 of the drawings.

lt will be* observed that in the modified form the 'assembled parts are arranged in a reverse yposition to that shown in Figs. 1

to llg-that is to say the angulaiportion of the supporting frame, denoted by the letters a and al in Figs. 1 tot, is` arranged at the front instead of at the rear of said supporting frame, asin Figs. 1 to Li, whiletlie crossbar a3 and receptacle C supported thereon are also ,arranged at the rearof saidframe. The operating levers and treadle bar F1 and presser-bar G and' associated parts are substantially identical with the corresponding parts shown in Figs. 1 to l.

- ln Figs. 11 and 12,V the knife-carrying frame and associated parts are of substantially' the same construction as the corresponding parts shown in Figs. 9 and 10, except that the sheet metal body of the knifecarrier has depending apertured lugs 27 at one end and upstanding apertured lugs 28 at the other end to receive the rods 2O and f1, so that the rod 21 is arranged above the plane of the rod 20.

While I lpreferably use as knife or cutter a well known form of vsafety razor blade,

to save expense, any other suitable form may be employed, either rotary, or relatively stationary, as may be found desirable in practical use, and various other changes may be made' in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and l: therefore do not desire to be limited in the appended claims to the specific construction and arrangement shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaiin as new and desire to secure byletters Patent of the United States is: Y

1. An envelope opener comprising a reciprocating carriage mounted on a supporting frame and carrying a knife lade adapted to operate when the carriage is moved in either a forward or backward direction, e carriage having a pivotal connection w said frame at one side or end while the opposite side or end thereof is free t0 be raised 'to raise the knife, depressible presser-bar extending in a plane parallel with the line y of movement of the knife adapted to hold an envelope with one end or margin thereof in position to be severed by the knife when moving in eitherr direction, and means for depressing said presser-bar.

2. An envelope opener comprising asupporting frame having parallel bars thereon forming track rails, a reciprocating carriage carrying cutter mounted on said rails, said carriage having a pivotal connection with one of said bars on which it may swing upwardly to raise theknife, a presser-bar adapted to hold an envelope in position to be cut as the cutter is moved along the track, and means for causing said presser-bar `to hold the envelope in a fixed position'during the. operation of the cutter.

3. An envelope opener comprising a frame structure having parallel bars mounted lic:

CIL

.screwed into said socket for securing the knife to the plate.

12. In a device of the character described, a supporting frame having a reciprocating` knife-carrier mounted thereon, a normally inoperable knife rockably mounted on said carrier, and hand operated means for throwing a cutting edge of the knife into operative position when the carrier is moved in either forward or backward direction for severing a strip from the margin of an envelope arranged in the path ofthe knife,

and a detachable receptacle underlyingthe.

' path of movement of the knife to receive the severed strips. 1

13. An envelope opener comprising` a reciprocating carriage mounted on a supporting base and carrying a knife rockably mounted thereon and normally yieldingly sustained in inoperable position and adapted to be depressed to operate when the carriage is moved in either a forward or backward directioma knife-guide, and means for holding an envelope with one end or margin thereof in position to be severed by the knife when movingin either direction.

14. An envelope opener comprising' a supporting frame having track rails thereon,.a reciprocating carriage carrying a knife mounted on said r ils, said carriage having a pivotal connection at one end thereof with one` of said rails while its other end is slidably supported on the other rail a presserbarextending parallel with and close to one of said rails between which and the top of said frame the endormargin of an envelope may be inserted and held in position to be severed by the knife; a knife guide beside the latter rail and hand operated means for forcing and holding the presserbar down upon the envelopeduring the operation of the knife.

15. An envelope opener comprising a supporting frame having track rails thereon,

a reciprocating carriage carrying a knife slidably mounted on said rails; and means for holding kan envelope in position to be cut by the knife as it travels along said rails; said carriage having a hinge-like connection at one side orV end with one rail while the other side or end thereof is slidably supported on the other rail and adapted to be raised toraise the-knife.

16. An envelope opener comprising a supporting framehaving mounted thereon a knife adapted to present a cutting edge when moving in either forward or backward direction said knife being in the form of an oblong blade rockably secured to a reciprocating carrier so that either end of the blade may be depressed into cutting position, and means for gripping and holding the envelope with the end or margin thereof in position for the action of the knife.

17. An envelope opener comprising a supporting frame having mounted thereon a tilting knife secured to a reciprocating carrier and adapted when tilted to present a cutting edge when moving in either forward or backward direction, manualiT operated means for tilting the knife, a knife-guide, ay stop to limit movement of the envelope beyond a given point.l and means for gripping and holding the envelope with the end or margin thereof in position for the action of the knife. n

18. In a device of the character described,

a supporting frame having a reciprocating knife-carrier mounted thereon, a knife rockably mounted on said carrier normally in inoperable position, and hand operated means for exerting a rocking action and throwing a'cutting edge of the knife into operative position when the carrier is moved in either forward or backward direction, for severing a strip from the margin of an envelope arranged in the path of Vmovement of the knife.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

EDWARD E. FLEMING. 

